PART 3 - Paragraph Comprehension Question 1 of 3
An actor tosses his hat into the air. It flies 30 feet across the stage to make a perfect landing atop a lamppost. An angry mob
scales a 30-foot iron fence in seconds to pursue the "phantom" of the opera. Peter Pan suddenly defies gravity and flies up onto
the mantle. What do all these events have in common? They are the results of special flying effects artistically engineered by
masters of that art.
In the case of the hat, Allan Fanjoy, a special effects designer, explains that "it's done with wires," or more precisely, with fishing
line cleverly run through specially rigged pulleys controlled by a counterweight. When the actor tosses the hat, the fishing line
attached to it takes over and, propelled by the descent of the counterweight, flies it to its target, the lamppost. The angry mob
scales the 30-foot fence all right, but they do it wearing safety harnesses and lines designed by flying master, Peter Foy.
Peter Pan, the epitome of aerial stage roles, is probably the flying character most loved by dazzled audiences. Foy, working out
of his Las Vegas-based company, Foy Inventerprises, bears the flying responsibilities for more than a hundred productions of
Peter Pan each year. In these, Peter Pan and the other flying members of the cast don specially designed harnesses and learn to
work with the technicians who actually fly them through the air. Coordination is everything!
But, whether the flying objects are inanimate or animate, Foy's approach to these special effects likely reflects the beliefs of
those who excel in this art: "I never start with the equipment. I start with what I want to see. And then I go back."
Which of the following best describes the hat-throwing sequence?
A Actor tosses hat; hat lands on target; counterweight descends.
B
Actor tosses hat; counterweight descends; hat lands on target.
C Counterweight descends; actor tosses hat; hat lands on target.
Hatlands on targets actor tosses hat. countemureight descends